Ukraine Bans Activities of Number of Pro-Russian Parties During Martial Law

The National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine (NSDC) has decided to suspend the work of a number of pro-Russian political parties during martial law, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in his address.

“Any activity on the part of politicians aimed at splitting or collaborating will not succeed. But they will face a tough response… Given the full-scale war waged by the Russian Federation and the ties that some political organisations have with that state, any activity of a number of political parties will be suspended pending martial law,” the Head of State stressed.

He also named specific political forces, in particular: “Opposition Platform – For Life,” “Sharij’s Party,” “Nashi,” “Opposition Bloc,” “Left Opposition,” “Union of Left Forces,” “Derzhava,” “Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine,” “Socialist Party of Ukraine,” “Socialists,” and “Volodymyr Saldo’s Bloc.”

The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has been instructed to immediately take comprehensive measures to ban the activities of said political parties in the prescribed manner.

Recently, a Ukrainian court granted permission to arrest Viktor Medvedchuk, one of the leaders of the “Opposition Platform – For Life.” This pro-Russian politician and Putin’s relative escaped from house arrest in the first days of the war. His whereabouts are currently unknown. Medvedchuk is suspected of treason and complicity in the activities of a terrorist organisation.

Also last week, Ukrainian investigators searched the homes of some MPs from the “Opposition Platform – For Life” faction who had illegally crossed or planned to cross Ukraine’s state border. They seized large sums of cash in hryvnias and foreign currency, as well as weapons.

Bohdan Marusyak